Chapter 14: Labyrinth of Crete Part - 3
Those present remained motionless, their gazes fixed on the hideous body of the monster they had not noticed before, even after going through all the traps.
But a small group of five people stepped forward, brimming with confidence, unlike the majority, who were paralyzed with fear. Each of them wielded a weapon.
"How did they get those weapons?"
"I don't know... that creature didn't mention anything about weapons or even traps or monsters in this place."
Murmurs began to echo in all directions as everyone's eyes focused on the brave group that seemed ready to take on the abomination.
"Are you sure we can defeat that thing?" asked one of the group, his voice tinged with doubt as he watched the monster remain motionless.
A tall, burly man, who appeared to be the leader, answered confidently.
"Don't worry, we were already players before we got here, and we're level 4, so I don't see..."
Before he could finish, the monster moved at incredible speed, taking the group by surprise. The burly man, panicked by the sudden movement, activated his ability.
A barrier covered the group as the others backed away from the monster's location.
Clang!
A crisp sound echoed as the monster slammed into the burly man's barrier.
Seeing that the monster was not as powerful as it seemed, the others also activated their abilities. They had seen how the man had eluded the onslaught with surprising ease.
Then, they began attacking the monster from all directions as it emitted hideous screams and spat acid from its horrible maw.
...
Kane, who had not yet joined the attack, watched from a distance. He had no intention of intervening or showing off his abilities at the moment; he was waiting for the protagonist, Theo, to activate one of his abilities so he could replicate it.
Rachel, with an apathetic expression, without taking her eyes off the group struggling to defeat the monster, asked:
"Do you know how they got those guns? I don't remember seeing some of them with weapons before."
"They got them from the inventory the creature mentioned," Kane replied.
With a tone of curiosity, Rachel raised an eyebrow slightly and added, "Are you saying there's a rookie item in the inventory?"
"That's right," Kane confirmed.
Rachel opened her inventory, which contained only one item. She took it, and an iron sword, somewhat rusted, appeared in her hand.
She looked at the sword momentarily, her expression still indifferent. Without changing her countenance, she turned her gaze back to the group of persons and asked:
"You have no intention of joining them?"
"Not yet," Kane replied calmly, leaning back as he kept his gaze fixed on Theo, who hadn't joined the group of attackers desperately fighting the monster.
While the majority attacked incessantly, the monster remained unharmed, as if the attacks had no effect. Upon realizing this, people's expressions changed from excitement to terror.
...
After being suddenly dragged to that place, Theo felt the ground vibrate slightly. He looked around, wondering if anyone else had noticed.
But everyone fixed their gazes on the giant tarantula, attacking it from every possible angle.
He frowned in confusion, thinking that perhaps it was just his imagination. Looking away, he noticed a man with long black hair and some white locks and a beautiful woman with dark hair and an indifferent expression.
He noticed that the woman held a sword in her hand, and the man pulled a dagger out of nowhere.
'So, they noticed the anomaly on the floor too,' thought Theo.
His thought was interrupted when the ground vibrated loudly, accompanied by the sound of approaching monsters.
From one moment to the next, chaos erupted. A large group of creatures emerged from several passages in the vast hall. The monsters looked like wolves out of hell itself: two heads full of teeth and pus, flayed and bloody bodies covered with blood-red mouths and eyes. A long tail full of eyes and teeth, with a mouth at the end, added an even more grotesque touch.
At that moment, the monsters that suddenly appeared began to slaughter people brutally.
"Ahhhh!!! Save me!"
"S-save me!"
Desperate, heart-rending screams began to echo through the air again, mingling with the monsters' roars, creating a macabre symphony throughout the room.
Kane and Rachel were the first to react. They began to take down the monsters with lethal efficiency.
On the other side, Theo, still surprised, saw how one of the monsters lunged towards him, its jaws open and showing its sharp teeth. He rolled on the ground, miraculously dodging the attack.
Another monster, with two swift movements, lunged at him, launching a claw. Theo rolled again and, with that momentum, got up.
Seeing a sword lying on the ground, he ran towards it, ignoring the pain shooting through his body. Just at that moment, the shadow of a claw rushed towards him.
As if "luck" was guiding him, just a few centimeters away, a person, paralyzed with terror, watched the massacre without knowing what to do.
Theo, without hesitation, grabbed him by the shirt and used him as a meat shield.
An expression of confusion appeared on the person's face before he could react; the monster's claw brutally pierced his chest.
Inches from Theo's face, he could see the long black fingernails stained with crimson blood and the pierced heart still beating faintly.
'I'm sorry, but I had to do it to survive...' Theo thought silently as blood stained his face.
He quickly turned away from the body of his human shield, watching as the monster opened its jaws and began to devour him. Crimson blood dripped from its mouth, soaking his fur.
Theo shuddered in terror, aware that, had he not used the man as a shield, he would be devoured.
The piercing screams, cries, and pleas for help echoed around him as he ran through the chaos. He reached for the sword on the ground, swung it hard, and began to cut down the monsters while message windows constantly appeared before his eyes.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone